How does the waitlist work on sold out cruises?

[kath00]

My parents are looking to get on a ship that is totally sold out as of right now and is sailing in about a month.

 

Their TA said they needed to pay $200 deposit. She would list them on a few balcony categories that they wanted.

 

If they do match the WL, and decide not to go, do they lose the $200 deposit? Once they match, does Princess give them time to pay the final payment, like a day or two?

 

At what point does princess give back the $200 if they don't match? They can't wait till the last day to find out they are sailing on a 7n cruise so they are not sure how this would all work.

 

Thanks a lot! Katherine

[caribill]

My parents are looking to get on a ship that is totally sold out as of right now and is sailing in about a month.

 

Their TA said they needed to pay $200 deposit. She would list them on a few balcony categories that they wanted. If being put on a waitlist, the normal deposit amount is required.

 

If they do match the WL, and decide not to go, do they lose the $200 deposit? Once they match, does Princess give them time to pay the final payment, like a day or two? They will not lose the deposit if they clear the waitlist and decide not to cruise once notified that they did clear the waitlist. I am not sure how long they will have to pay for the cruise if they clear the list, but I suspect it will be as soon as the TA notifies them.

 

At what point does princess give back the $200 if they don't match? They can't wait till the last day to find out they are sailing on a 7n cruise so they are not sure how this would all work. If they decide it is too close to embarkation day to do the cruise and they have not cleared, they can notify to TA to cancel the waitlist and the deposit will be refunded. If they never clear the waitlist, the deposit will be refunded as soon as Princess accounting procedures permit.

 

Thanks a lot! Katherine

 

See above in red.

[paul929207]

You do not indicate how they will get to the ship. If it is by air, most discounts disappear as you get closer to the day of the flight.

[dorisis]

I have only been on a waitlist once and it was not with Princess. I did not have to make a deposit but would have had to make full payment if we were chosen to go. We were not chosen. It is a gamble that I don't think I will take again.

 

~Doris~

[OldSeaDog]

A $200 per cabin (single, double, triple or quad) deposit will hold a place on the waitlist for any category.

 

The deposit is fully refundable if the waitlist does not clear or if the passenger cancels the booking while it is still in a waitlist status.

 

If a waitlist clears, a fax will be sent to the Travel Agency showing the match. The travel agent must call Princess to accept the match within 2 business days.

 

If no action is taken on the match by the end of the second business day, all waitlist requests will be canceled. If the booking was a waitlisted booking, the entire booking will be canceled and the deposit will be refunded.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Good advice above. The only time we were on a waitlist we did clear it, but decided not to go as the price had nearly doubled. So be aware of that.

[Pam in CA]

The waitlist amount is a $200 deposit, not the full deposit amount although if you don't have an FCC, you would pay the full deposit if it's before final payment, the full fare after final payment if you clear the list. I was waitlisted for the Royal Maiden Passage and was cleared eight days later. My booking confirmation shows the $200, the $100 FCC and my $39 BVE credits towards the cruise cost.

 

A month away from the cruise, whether you clear the wait list depends on what # you are on the list. If you pay the $200 and don't get a cabin, it'll be refunded.

[cruising cockroach]

So this is when Princess (or any cruise line) waits for a cancellation or gets someone who booked cheap to defer Sort of like airline overbooking.

[OldSeaDog]

So this is when Princess (or any cruise line) waits for a cancellation or gets someone who booked cheap to defer Sort of like airline overbooking.

 

I've been told, by someone inside the industry, that each cabin turns over, on average, eight times before sailing. So, I don't think it's quite like an airline overbooking...more making sure that the ship sails full, given the likelihood that any particular cabin will be unbooked at the last minute.

[cruising cockroach]

I've been told, by someone inside the industry, that each cabin turns over, on average, eight times before sailing. So, I don't think it's quite like an airline overbooking...more making sure that the ship sails full, given the likelihood that any particular cabin will be unbooked at the last minute.

 

I imagine that is due to price drops, upsells, upgrades as well as cancellations and cancel-and-rebook if there are "new bookings only" fare drops.

 

I was thinking that someone wanting to get on a sold-out cruise would be willing to pay a nose-bleed fare so they'll look for someone who booked at low cost and is willing to move onto an underbooked/sold cruise.

[Pam in CA]

I've been told, by someone inside the industry, that each cabin turns over, on average, eight times before sailing. So, I don't think it's quite like an airline overbooking...more making sure that the ship sails full, given the likelihood that any particular cabin will be unbooked at the last minute.

I've been told the same.

 

I imagine that is due to price drops, upsells, upgrades as well as cancellations and cancel-and-rebook if there are "new bookings only" fare drops.

When you consider that cruises can be booked up to two years before sailing, this is not surprising. People change their minds, change categories, etc. For my upcoming Island Princess cruise in late September, I originally booked a fully obstructed cabin in March as all categories were pretty much sold out. I then saw that the cabin next door, which wasn't as fully obstructed, was available for the same price and I switched. Then, I was checking and saw that a fully unobstructed view cabin was available that wasn't at the very front of the ship and in a great location, so I changed again, paying the premium to change categories. I don't think I'm alone but that's three cabins in just over four months.

[Putterdude]

We have been known to do the same, watch for something better to become available for at or about the same price and switch. We recently moved from an OV to a balcony for just a modest premium.

[kath00]

Thanks for all the info. I just spoke to Princess and they told me the WL # is 35 so it could be a while, if they match at all.

 

It's past final payment so I don't think the turnaround will be as fast as before final payment.

 

They may just not make it on. Hmmmmmm. I guess it's just a waiting game...

 

Katherine

[caribill]

I was thinking that someone wanting to get on a sold-out cruise would be willing to pay a nose-bleed fare so they'll look for someone who booked at low cost and is willing to move onto an underbooked/sold cruise.

 

Princess will do this for unassigned GTY bookings, but not for waitlist bookings.

[caribill]

The waitlist amount is a $200 deposit, not the full deposit amount although if you don't have an FCC, you would pay the full deposit if it's before final payment, the full fare after final payment if you clear the list.

 

The times I was on a waitlist I had to put down the full deposit and an FCC could not be used unless I cleared the waitlist.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I just got waitlisted for a sold out ship and will need to call in the $200 deposit this afternoon (it's before final payment time). I think we'll clear the waitlist as a couple of years ago I had booked a similar cruise way after final payment, but at the same time had waitlisted some other categories. Within days I was getting phone calls that I could get cabins in those categories. So guessing there are usually cancellations on most cruises.

[Pam in CA]

The times I was on a waitlist I had to put down the full deposit and an FCC could not be used unless I cleared the waitlist.

You're correct about the FCC. That couldn't be used until I cleared the wait list and had a cabin. However, I paid just $200 as a deposit for the wait list, not the full deposit. I went from #102 to booked in a cabin in eight days. My sister is wait listed for the same cruise (she booked way after me) and started out over #400. Don't know where she is now on the list. Will have to check. Same thing, though: $200 deposit for the wait list.

[rdsqrl]

Does that $200 get one on the waitlist for just one specific category of cabin, or can one waitlist oneself in multiple categories for one $200 deposit? If I had to pay $200 to waitlist myself in every possible acceptable obstructed oceanview/unobstructed oceanview category, that could run into some serious money!

 

Or maybe I should ask, how specific are the categories: does one waitlist for BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, or just for "generic balcony cabin" which would encompass all the Bs. Or "obstructed oceanview," which would encompass E,F,G,GG,H.

[Pam in CA]

Does that $200 get one on the waitlist for just one specific category of cabin, or can one waitlist oneself in multiple categories for one $200 deposit? If I had to pay $200 to waitlist myself in every possible acceptable obstructed oceanview/unobstructed oceanview category, that could run into some serious money!

 

Or maybe I should ask, how specific are the categories: does one waitlist for BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, or just for "generic balcony cabin" which would encompass all the Bs. Or "obstructed oceanview," which would encompass E,F,G,GG,H.

I can only use my experience for the Royal Princess. I paid $200 and I believe I was wait listed for every balcony category. Since there are no oceanview cabins on the Royal, that was a lot of categories. I was given the option of accepting a cabin in category BC, which I accepted.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Does that $200 get one on the waitlist for just one specific category of cabin, or can one waitlist oneself in multiple categories for one $200 deposit? If I had to pay $200 to waitlist myself in every possible acceptable obstructed oceanview/unobstructed oceanview category, that could run into some serious money!

 

Or maybe I should ask, how specific are the categories: does one waitlist for BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, or just for "generic balcony cabin" which would encompass all the Bs. Or "obstructed oceanview," which would encompass E,F,G,GG,H.

 

For the $200, we are waitlisted for all the OV categories, but the email I got earlier also had the interior ones listed, which is good too (I thought the WLs for those were already filled).

[rdsqrl]

Thanks so much, Pam and Patty. That's good news, indeed. (In case you're wondering, no, it's not the Royal I'm looking at!)

[ttnc4me]

Also as another eluded to earlier, do not expect the last pricing you saw listed. When I cleared the waitlist, it was about 1/3 more than the last lowest price I had seen advertised on their website just before being sold out. We passed, and surprisingly, cabins opened up on the website for less! So, don't give up checking online availability too just in case.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Also as another eluded to earlier, do not expect the last pricing you saw listed. When I cleared the waitlist, it was about 1/3 more than the last lowest price I had seen advertised on their website just before being sold out. We passed, and surprisingly, cabins opened up on the website for less! So, don't give up checking online availability too just in case.

 

This prompts a question from me: How can you see what the last price for a category was on the Princess site if there's just the phrase "sold out?" I was given a current price by the Princess rep today if OVs do become available on the cruise I'm considering, but I don't know if that's the amount paid by the latest people to book those cabins.

[OldSeaDog]

The times I was on a waitlist I had to put down the full deposit and an FCC could not be used unless I cleared the waitlist.

 

Princess changed the deposit requirement in late 2010. It's now only $200 for any cabin category.

 

I don't know if that's the amount paid by the latest people to book those cabins.

 

If you're on WL, what anyone else paid is inconsequential. You have to pay whatever price Princess sets at the time you clear the list.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I know the price for me might change (and undoubtedly higher), but I'm just curious what the rate had been.